TASTE OF OLLIFall 2019

Tuesday, November 12 - Thursday, December 19

Phone Website Cost

805-437-2748EXT. 2

go.csuci.edu/olli or search "OLLI CI"

$15 Per Class

OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE (OLLI) AT CSU

CHANNEL ISLANDS

Taste of OLLI Fall 2019At a Glance

The Science of CompassionTuesday, November 1210:00 am to 12:00 pmCalifornia Museum of Art Thousand Oaks (CMATO)

Bio Holly Sacks received her BA in anthropology

from UC Berkeley in 1970. After a long

career as a senior marketing and strategy

executive in multinational high-tech

companies, she completed the CMF

certification program at UCLA Mindful

Awareness Research Center in 2014.                 

   

Course descriptionAre we hardwired for compassion? Or is it a

moral philosophy that conflicts with

individual survival? This talk provides an

overview of perspectives on compassion

through the lenses of neuroscience, social

science, human evolution, and how it fits

within the spectrum of related capabilities

such as empathy, kindness, and altruism.

Class #3177

Art and Science Convergein OrigamiTuesday, November 12 1:00 to 3:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

Bio BiJian Fan, Ph.D., received his B.S. and M.S. in

Mathematics, and his doctorate in

Mechanical Engineering.  He spent most

of his professional career in pharmaceutical

research and development at Merck

and Amgen.  He is also an artist and has

exhibited internationally and earned

numerous recognitions. BiJian integrates art

and science in his creative practice and

exhibits and lectures scientific art

internationally.

Course descriptionOrigami art has inspired a wide range of

scientific applications from space

exploration to life science. Science has

advanced origami art from folding design to

artistic expression. This presentation will

discuss the convergence of art and science

in origami and the advantage of their

integration.

Class #3176

The Homeless Crisis,Beginnings, Middle andHopefully EndWednesday, November 1310:00 am to 12:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

Bio                                   John Snibbe, Ph.D., received his doctorate

at the University of Utah and has worked

for LAPD and the Sheriffs’ Department in

Los Angeles. He managed Mobile

Psychiatric Emergency services for LA

County and has worked with the homeless

and mentally ill offenders in jail and state

hospitals.

Course descriptionThis course will explore why this crisis

developed, the initial foolish ideas for

change and solutions that might work.

Class #3178

African and IslamicInfluences in AmericanPopular MusicThursday, November 14 10:00 am to 12:00 pmStudio Channel Islands

Bio Ted Lucas, Ph.D. , is a founding

administrator of Cal State Channel Islands

and served as its first Provost from 2003 to

2008, after which he retired to devote more

time to composing and performing music.

He received his Doctorate in Music from the

University of Illinois and his M.A. and B.A. in

music from San Diego State University.

Course descriptionFor decades scholars have debated the

extent to which African folk music influenced

early American popular music, most specially

blues, ragtime and jazz. More recently some

scholars argue that significant elements of

Islamic music are present in many blues

songs and jazz solos beginning in the early

years of the last century. We will explore

these questions and others as we examine a

variety of musical styles found in Africa and

look at the earliest recordings of American

blues, ragtime and jazz.

Class #3180

Historical Identities:Columbus and FrankensteinTuesday, November 1910:00 am to 12:00 pmCalifornia Museum of Art Thousand Oaks(CMATO)

Bio Herbert Gooch, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus

at California Lutheran University, where he

taught in Political Science, directed the

Master’s in Public Policy and Administration

Program, and held various administrative

positions.

Course descriptionOne is a hero of our dreams: the daring

sailor-scholar proving earth to be round; an

explorer discovering a new world and

beginning America. The other is a monster

of nightmares: a scientist’s creation grown

beyond intention or control; a destructive

force from the underside of technological

progress. These images of Columbus and

Frankenstein are uniquely contemporary.

On historical examination, the images

splinter and each shard reflects different

truths. Americans today can't imagine the

Columbus dragged in chains back to Spain or

his insistence time would end one

generation hence.

Class #3181

Four Hindu ScripturesThursday, November 141:00 pm to 3:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

Bio Bill Garlington, Ph.D, has a B.A. and M.A. in

History from UCLA, and a Ph.D. in Asian

Studies and Sociology from the Australian

National University. He has taught at all

academic levels on three continents and

carried out sociological/anthropological

fieldwork in India.

Course descriptionThis class will examine four of the most

famous ancient Hindu scriptures: The

Brihadaranyaka and Chandogya Upanishads,

The Bhagavad Gita, and the Bhagavata

Purana. In the process we will not only

explore their metaphysical and ethical

teachings; we will also reflect on what

meaning these teachings might hold for us

today.

Class #3179

Starchitecture: The Glamourof Old HollywoodWednesday, November 2010:00 am to 12:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

Bio                               Eleanor Schrader is an  educator, lecturer,

and author. She lectures on the history of

architecture, interiors, and decorative arts

and leads art and architecture tours

throughout the world. She was named a

Distinguished Instructor of design history

at UCLA Extension.  She is Professor

Emeritus of Art and Architectural History

at Santa Monica College.

Course descriptionHollywood boasts a plethora of beautiful

homes and glamorous retreats where

legends of the film industry lived, worked,

and played. A richly illustrated slide

presentation will document some of the

most famous environs of the stars, from

opulent movie theaters to luxurious

private homes to some of the most

notorious hideaways. We will discuss the

popular architectural styles and interiors

of the 20s and 30s, including Romantic

Revivals and Art Deco.

Class #3184

Do Elections PromoteLeadership or Democracy?Wednesday, November 201:00 pm to 3:00 pmVentura Adult & Continuing Education(VACE)

Bio Carolyn Dorrance, Ph.D. teaches courses

in history, political science and philosophy

at Oxnard College. The challenge of

applying political ideas in practical politics

and fulfilling the ideals of effective

citizenship has long been a focus in her

teaching.

Course descriptionNews about the 2020 Elections draws out

expectations about the significance and

consequences of these elections. Some see

an opportunity to remove leaders and

change public policies. Others intend to

validate the leadership of the incumbents.

The strong focus on the Presidential election

reflects an assumption that the personal

authority of the President is the dominant

power in American government, but

elections for Congress and in the various

states provide key leadership opportunities.

What tests of leadership will the voters use

to evaluate candidates? What, if anything, is

democratic about the electoral process and

the results? We will address these questions.

Class #3183

We're More Alike ThanYou Would ThinkThursday, November 2110:00 am to 12:00 pmStudio Channel Islands

Course descriptionThe lives of the creatures that live along our

shores may seem alien to you, but there

exist many parallels between their lives and

our own. Learn about the animals that call

the tidepools along our rocky shores home,

and the different ways our experiences

diverge and overlap.

Class #3185

BioMelissa Baffa is the Development Officer

for Foundation and Corporate Relations at

the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural

History. Her love for science and nature

has led her to the past decade of service

within several nonprofits in Ventura and

Santa Barbara counties, serving as a

Science Communication Fellow with the

Ocean Exploration Trust, 10 years of

teaching science to middle and high school

students, and a brief stint as a research

associate at Amgen.

Turkish History andArchaeology of 12,000Years!Thursday, November 211:00 pm to 3:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

Bio Engin Kadaster has worked in Turkish

tourism for over 40 years, first as a tour

guide, then as an archaeologist. After

immigrating to the US in 1975, he became

the Manager and Vice President of Turkey

at Its Best, a private company.

Course descriptionThe class presents a short history of Turkey,

starting with Gobeklitepe, the greatest

archaeological find of the 21st century, and

with layers of civilization, including the

Hittite Empire, Phrygians, Urartus, Lydians,

Lycians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and

finally the Turks who officially entered

Anatolia in 1072. Also, we will visit "must-

see" places in Turkey, such as Istanbul,

Cappadocia, Ephesus, Bodrum, touching

briefly on the 17 UNESCO World Heritage

sites, and ending with information on Turkish

culture, language and cuisine, one of the

richest in the world!

Class #3186

Destiny and The Heroine'sJourneyTuesday, December 31:00 pm to 3:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

Bio Grace Hogstad, Ph.D., received her

doctorate of Philosophy in Mythological

Studies with Emphasis in Depth Psychology

from Pacifica Graduate Institute and holds a

Master of Arts degree in English, Creative

Writing from CSU Northridge.

Course descriptionMythologist Joseph Campbell popularized

“The Hero’s Journey”—a heroic quest that

takes the hero to his destiny – while

dissuading women from taking their own

heroic journey, positing that “women are the

goal of the hero’s striving; she is mother,

protectress, and supporter of the hero,” not

heroine of her own quest. This presentation

slices open Campbell’s work by featuring

classical myths of heroine journeys,

including the oldest myth on record—the

myth of Inanna. We’ll follow the path of the

heroine to learn how to fulfill our own

destiny or to accomplish goals we’ve always

had.

Class #3187

Creating an Opera, Besidesthe Music!Wednesday, December 410:00 to 12:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

Bio Steve Kohn has been an active speaker

for Los Angeles Opera for the past

twenty years. He has spoken on specific

operas, specialty subjects and the

repertory of Los Angeles Opera. He is a

former member of the board and

continues to volunteer with Los Angeles

Opera.

Course descriptionWhat does it take to create an opera

performed on stage? It takes much more

than the singing and the music we hear.

We will explore stage design, set design,

costume design and the people who are

responsible for creating this art form, in a

meaningful and engaging experience.

With examples from each aspect, we will

begin to understand how truly talented

these artists are. We will end by viewing

one scene, from many different

perspectives, to judge which we like best.

Class #3189

Memory TrainingWednesday, December 41:00 pm to 3:00 pmVentura Adult & Continuing Education(VACE)

Bio Lynne Goldfarb, Ph.D., received  her

doctorate in Education through Claremont

Graduate University. She has worked in

higher educational with undergraduates

through graduates. She is a Certified

Memory Trainer, through UCLA’s

Longevity Institute and is a Certified

Feuerstein Cognitive Coach, identifying

and enhancing individual’s learning

potential based on neuroplasticity.

Course descriptionThe Memory Training Program is an

innovative educational program for

improving memory.  The program benefits

include remembering names and faces,

recalling appointments, messages, and

plans, practicing everyday memory

techniques, avoiding misplaced objects and

overcoming “tip of the tongue memory

slips.” Nine out of ten participants report

improvements in their memory. This

program was created out of UCLA’s

Longevity Center and is only taught by

certified trainers who demonstrate

strategies and techniques in an interactive

classroom setting.

Class #3188

The Forgotten FrenchConnection in 19th C. LAThursday, December 510:00 am to 12:00 pmStudio Channel Islands

BioDinna Pitt is the Historian and Curator at

the Leonis Adobe Museum, Los Angeles

Historic-Cultural Monument #1. She

received a B.A. in Classical Civilization from

UCLA and an M.A. with Distinction in

History from CSUN. 

Course descriptionDid you know that early Los Angeles used

to have a Frenchtown, and that by 1860,

French was the most spoken language in

the City of Angels after Spanish? Despite

their lasting contributions, the French

emigres who settled in southern California

are often forgotten in the historiography

of Los Angeles. Some of the French-

speaking immigrants were Basques who

became wildly prosperous rancho owners

in the San Fernando Valley and controlled

much of the region. We will trace the

French presence within the city’s

development and discuss some of the

most colorful and prominent French

members of the San Fernando Valley

ranching community.

Class # 3190

Poems and the Peoplewho Wrote ThemThursday, December 51:00 pm to 3:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

Bio J.T. Ledbetter, Ph.D.,  holds a B.A. in English

from California State University Long

Beach, and an M.A. and doctorate in English

from the University of Nebraska.

Course descriptionWhen Shelley said “Poets are the

unacknowledged legislators of the world”

and Walt Whitman said “I sing myself, and

celebrate myself…” they broke the mold of

what a poet should sound like. When Emily

Dickinson admitted “I’m nobody, who are

you?” and E. E. Cummings wrote about the

“little lame balloon man” who “whistles far

and wee”, they reminded us that we live

inside ourselves more than we admit, and

express ourselves in love, defiance, and just

for fun. When Robert Frost quietly said “I

took the one less traveled by, and that has

made all the difference.”, he spoke to that all

but indefinable strength in human nature

that does not easily give in. We will look at

themes poets write about in such

memorable lines.

Class # 3201

NarcissismTuesday, December 1010:00 am to 12:00 pmCalifornia Museum of Art Thousand Oaks(CMATO)

Bio                                  Mark Rafter, Emeritus Professor of

Psychology at College of the Canyons, is a

member of the Association for Psychological

Science and has a B.A. in Psychology from

UC Riverside and an M.A. in General

Experimental Psychology from CSU San

Bernardino.

Course descriptionMainstream use of the term "narcissism"

has become significantly more frequent in

recent years. This Taste explores an

academic understanding and describes the

relationship between being "egocentric"

and "narcissistic". (Hint: We are all

egocentric!) The set of behavioral criteria

provided by the American Psychiatric

Association is highlighted as we view

characteristics of narcissism through the

filters offered by psychoanalytic theory,

behaviorism, humanism, and interpersonal

neurobiology.

Class #3192

Don't Forget About AIDSTuesday, December 101:00 pm to 3:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

BioGary Marks, Ph.D., Sreceived his

doctorate in Social Psychology Research

from the University of Southern

California in 1982. He became interested

in health behavior research and

HIV/AIDS in the early 1980s and was

awarded a faculty position in the

Department of Preventive Medicine at

USC.

Course descriptionSince being identified in the early

1980s, AIDS has killed tens of millions of

people throughout the world, and it

continues to affect people worldwide.

This class will provide background about

how the HIV virus that causes AIDS was

first identified and how it spread around

the world. The audience will be

introduced to (1) the characteristics of

the virus, (2) the new medical

treatments that have the ability to turn

HIV/AIDS into a chronic manageable

disease, (3) the attempts to find an

effective vaccine, and (4) the public

health strategies to reduce transmission

of the virus from person to person.

Class #3191

When Mosquitoes Don'tDie Wednesday, December 1110:00 to 12:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

Bio                               Chansak Suwanchaichinda, Ph.D., received

a doctorate from Rutgers University, a

Master of Science from the University of

Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master of Public

Health from the Penn State College of

Medicine. He taught at the State University

of New York and has worked in public

health both in the United States and

abroad.

Course descriptionMosquito-transmitted diseases have

been around since ancient times. Despite

advances in modern science and

technology, we are still fighting these

diseases. How have mosquitoes managed

to survive our best efforts to control

them? In this class, we will look at how

mosquito vectors overcome the toxicity of

insecticides, what physiological

mechanisms contribute to insecticide

resistance, and what environmental

factors could affect the control of the

mosquito population, including in your

own backyard.

Class #3203

Towards a ContemporaryEcological PsychologyWednesday, December 111:00 pm to 3:00 pmVentura Adult & Continuing Education

Bio Renée G. Soule, PhD, has been developing

and teaching Ecopsychology for over 30

years in outdoor, classroom, and prison

settings. Her work, wild nature and the

human psyche are radically

interdependent. She engages

environmental crises as a right of passage

presaging and promoting a new level of

maturity commensurate with the

environmental challenges we face.

Course descriptionEcopsychology is an orientation within

psychology focused on humanity’s

relationship with our natural world. In our

modern era, the human psyche (including

our beliefs, values, and behavior) has

become a force of nature. How we think

and what we value shape life as indelibly as

wind, fire, and water. Therefore, our mental

health, emotional vibrancy, and overall

maturity have wide-reaching

consequences. Eco (from oikos, meaning

home) combines with psyche (soul) and

logos (the laws or logic of nature) to form

the word eco-psyche-logy

Class #3202

The Women WhoChallenged RomeThursday, December 1210:00 am to 12:00 pm Studio Channel Islands

Bio Christine Maasdam holds a Master in

Humanities and a B.A. in Cultural

Geography. Her art studies include The

Courtauld Institute of Art in London, The

Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center in

D.C. and Antiquities Trafficking and Art

Crime at the University of Glasgow.

Course descriptionThe tales of Cleopatra are legendary but

who were the other women who challenged

and influenced the emperors, the empire

and the course of Rome. Our investigation

will examine the impact of the women

warriors, rulers and wives that lie in the

shadows of history. From Agrippina to

Zenobia, Boudicca to Plotina and Galla

Placidia, we will search to undercover their

motives, actions, contributions and their

power in the ancient world.

Class #3193

Art & Visual PerceptionThursday, December 121:00 pm to 3:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

Bio Jerry Clifford, Ph.D., has spent over thirty

years as a research scientist and educator

after receiving a Ph.D. in nuclear physics at

Iowa State University. As an Air Force

officer, he taught physics at the Air Force

Academy, worked on nuclear weapons

programs, studied particle beams for

Reagan's Star Wars, and worked in the

Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Course descriptionArt is in the eyes of the beholder.  Great

painters,often from experience, learned to

enhance their art with little knowledge of

visual perception.  Today we understand

why Mona Lisa's smile seems so elusive,

why Matisse's wild color palette “works”,

and why Picasso didn’t keep his water

colors in the lines. This Taste will discuss

the nature of light and the basis of color. 

We will learn how the eye and brain form

visual images. Through classical and

modern artwork, we will see the

masterpieces artists produced, usually

through skilled observation and

manipulation of light and

color.  Join us for a fascinating and fun

look into the world and science of visual

arts.

Class #3200

The Beatles In The StudioTuesday, December 1710:00 am to 12:00 pmCalifornia Museum of Art ThousandOaks (CMATO)

BioCary Ginell holds a master's degree in

Folklore from UCLA. He is an award-winning

writer, the author of six books on music

history.

Course descriptionEveryone knows how the Beatles invaded

America in 1964 with a world-stopping

appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." They

eventually became the world's most popular,

successful, and influential rock group. But

beneath the haircuts and the Liverpudlian

accents lay four ingenious musicians who,

along with EMI producer extraordinaire

George Martin, made magic in the Abbey

Road Studios in London. In this brief Taste,

we will examine highlights of the Beatles'

career in the studio, showing

how their musical ingenuity and Martin's

technical know-how helped revolutionize

popular music in the 1960s.

Class #3195

Listening to Film MusicTuesday, December 171:00 pm to 3:00 pmCSUCI Broome Library 2325

Bio John Buonamassa received his BA in music

from Queens College, City University of

New York, and his Master of Music from

California State University LA. Originally

from New York, John toured internationally

for sixteen years as keyboardist and musical

director for John Phillips and the Mamas

and the Papas.

Course descriptionAn overview of the form and function of film

music. Various film clips from the 1920s to

the present will be viewed and discussed

from the perspective of placement and

musical style. Source music, underscore,

original, adapted, and borrowed music will

be considered.

Class #3194

Underground L.A.:Subcultures of SoCalWendesday, December 1810:00 am to 12:00 pm CSUCI Broome Library 2325

BioDavid Parsons, PhD., received his

Doctorate in History from the Graduate

Center of the City University of New York

(CUNY). He is a professor and writer whose

work focuses on the political, social, and

cultural history of 20th century America.

Course descriptionFrom the cyberpunk aesthetic of Blade

Runner, to the surfing teenagers of Gidget,

to the hardcore hip hop of N.W.A., L.A.'s

various underground scenes have had a

significant influence on mainstream

culture, politics, and entertainment. This

Taste presentation will explore the

historical context, stylistic innovations, and

cultural legacies of a number of important

Los Angeles subcultures, including hip hop,

punk, queer, and skateboarding cultures.

Class #3196

Lincoln and Slavery: Evolution of a ReformerWednesday, December 181:00 pm to 3:00 pmVentura Adult & Continuing Education(VACE)

Bio                                   Clifford Wilcox, Ph.D., received his

doctorate in American Intellectual History

from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

He focuses on the history of ideas and

education in American society.

Course descriptionFew figures in American history did more to

eradicate slavery than Abraham Lincoln.

Yet Lincoln did not set out in his political

career focused on the problem of slavery.

He was neither an abolitionist nor a Radical

Republican. Indeed, he even advanced at

times clearly racist ideas. But Lincoln

displayed tremendous capacity for both

intellectual and moral growth. This Taste

will explore the evolution of Lincoln’s ideas

and actions from one whose main concerns

did not focus on slavery to becoming the

primary force behind the Emancipation

Proclamation and the 13th Amendment,

which legally eliminated slavery in the

United States.

Class #3197

Queen Undaunted:Margaret of AnjouThursday, December 1910:00 am to 12:00 pm Studio Channel Islands

Bio Jeannette (Jinny) Webber,Ph.D., is Professor

Emerita from Santa Barbara City College and

writes historical fiction. Her trilogy set in

Shakespeare's England, The Secret Player,

Dark Venus, and Bedtrick has been

published.

Course descriptionThis lecture-demo features E. Bonnie Lewis

playing scenes from 'Queen Undaunted:

Margaret of Anjou,' a one-woman show

written by Jinny Webber in collaboration

with William Shakespeare. Margaret appears

in four of Shakespeare's history plays: Henry

VI, Parts 1, 2, and 3 and Richard III. You'll

watch the rise of a rare woman in medieval

history: a minor French princess who marries

King Henry VI, surpassing her husband in

political maneuvering and warfare. In her last

stage of life, Margaret becomes the widowed

dowager queen speaking prescient curses in

the court of wily King Richard III. Lewis's

dramatic presentation will be followed by

a discussion of the play and its resonances to

today.

Class #3199

Informants andRevolutionaries: TheDangerous DanceThursday, December 191:00 pm to 3:00 pmCSUCI Broom Library 2325

Bio Aaron Leonard is the author of “Heavy

Radicals: The FBI’s Secret War on

America’s Maoists” and “A Threat of the

First Magnitude: FBI Counterintelligence &

Infiltration." He is a regular contributor to

the History News Network, Jacobin

magazine, and Truthout.org and has a BA in

history from New York University.

Course descriptionOne of the world’s oldest professions is

spying, a practice in play during the various

radical and revolutionary movements of the

twentieth century. This course will profile

the way spies have been dispatched against

everyone from Karl Marx, Russian

revolutionaries, US Communists in the

forties and fifties, and radicals of the sixties

and seventies. Using archival documents,

unique material obtained through Freedom

of Information filings, and other sources, the

Taste will pull back the blinds on the spies

and informants and their impact on historical

events.

Class #3198